[Special Profession Discovered: Holy Mark Physician. May be adopted upon meeting the requirements.]

[Requirement 1: Adopt at least five Top-tier Professions of the Physical Side.]

[Requirement 2: Use exquisite medical techniques to heal the physical injuries of at least 10,000 people.]

[Requirement 3: Perform a perfect surgery in the Medical Hall using Flawless Silk, a Living Regeneration Crystal, old scar tissue, and the Sin Cleansing Needle.]

[Flesh and blood are a fragile scripture, and my duty is to inscribe the verses of healing with my own two hands. The Holy Mark Physician pays its highest respects to the Great Venerable. Requirement 2 has been reduced: Heal the injuries of at least 5,000 people.]

Su Chen glanced at the panel. ’This is an unexpected bonus...’

He had already been planning to sacrifice the two professions he had adopted from the Phoenix sequence to his Life Burner class.

But now, it seemed the Phoenix Holy Profession actually had some potential after all.

If he could adopt this profession, it would be extremely useful. It offered resurrection, and one of the requirements for the Great Venerable class was something similar.

’I’ll have to put some effort into this Lan Hao, then.’ Su Chen’s gaze lowered.

Meanwhile, Lan Hao was enduring the intense pain in his Spirit Body, trembling uncontrollably.

There was nothing he could do. ’These Deceitful God’s Followers are all insane. You never know when they’ll snap. Surviving is pure luck.’

"Hmm..."

Hearing Su Chen’s contemplative hum, Lan Hao’s heart leaped into his throat.

"You’re being rather cooperative," Su Chen said, feigning satisfaction. "This isn’t our first encounter. I see great potential in you. Why not follow me and worship my Lord?"

’Huh?’ Lan Hao’s mind went blank. This was no different than just killing him. If he became one of the Deceitful God’s Followers, he’d be discovered in less than half a month.

His only chance would be to desert the Sect the moment he left the Nether Realm. But he was a direct heir of the Lan Family and a high-ranking member of the Sect. Deserting would be a fate worse than death.

"This..." A Spirit Body couldn’t sweat, yet Lan Hao felt as if he were drenched in it. He didn’t dare refuse, desperately racking his brain for a way out.

"What, you’re unwilling?" Su Chen’s voice turned cold.

An idea flashed in Lan Hao’s mind. He gritted his teeth and said, "Turning me into one of the Deceitful God’s Followers isn’t the best method."

"Oh?" Su Chen feigned confusion.

"I can be your mole inside the Sect." Lan Hao’s throat bobbed. There were many in the Dust Star Sea who dabbled with the Deceitful God, mainly because its power could achieve things that were otherwise impossible.

"My position isn’t low. I can provide you with a great deal of help. But if I become one of the Deceitful God’s Followers, I’ll have no choice but to leave the Sect," Lan Hao continued.

"Is that so..." Su Chen said, feigning thoughtfulness. "You do have a point."

"In that case, I’ll give you a chance."

As Su Chen spoke, a wisp of black light appeared on his fingertip and drifted into Lan Hao’s Spirit Body.

Lan Hao jumped in fright. "The aura of a Deceitful God’s Follower is easily detected!" he said hurriedly. "You can’t use any of your techniques on me!"

"Relax. They’ll never discover this little trick of mine."

Su Chen chuckled. He hadn’t actually done anything at all; it was just a bluff to intimidate Lan Hao.

"Furthermore, once every month, you must come to the Nether Realm. Leave the core area of the Bronze Sect and arrive here during the Dark Sun."

"If I’m not here, you can leave after the Dark Sun ends. But if *I* don’t see *you*... you should understand the consequences."

Su Chen’s tone was heavy with unspoken meaning.

Lan Hao shuddered, his heart filled with despair. ’I’m afraid I’ll never be free of this guy’s control for the rest of my life.’

"However, rest assured. If you perform well, there will be rewards."

Su Chen added, offering a small bit of comfort.

In truth, his main goal was to get the subsequent professions for the Phoenix class from Lan Hao. He didn’t have high hopes for any secrets from the Sect.

"Understand?" Su Chen’s voice sharpened. Lan Hao nodded with difficulty. "U-understood."

’No matter what, the most important thing right now is to stay alive.’

Seeing that his deception had worked, Su Chen changed the subject. "Have you thought of an explanation?"

Lan Hao quickly replied, "I’ll just say we were attacked by Netherworld Creatures. Even if they’re suspicious, there’s nothing they can do to me."

"I look forward to our next meeting."

Lan Hao forced an awkward smile, watching as Su Chen and the Black Ape’s figures drifted into the Nether Fog. His expression was dazed; he nearly collapsed to the ground, on the verge of tears.

......

"Hm?"

Steward Feng’s expression shifted. He tore his gaze away from the violently fluctuating energy field in the sky and looked behind him with suspicion.

Qin Tianlin, at his side, noticed his movement and couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong?"

Steward Feng hesitated. "I feel like something’s wrong."

He couldn’t be sure. The Nether Realm was treacherous and unpredictable, and the fog severely suppressed both his vision and his Mental Perception.

Besides, Lan Yunting was still battling that Tier Nine creature, and the intense energy fluctuations were also interfering with his senses.

’That’s the direction Meng Shiyu and Lan Hao went...’ Qin Tianlin’s brow furrowed slightly. Steward Feng hadn’t noticed the two of them leave, but he was well aware of it.

Still feeling uneasy, Steward Feng took a deep breath, and a mental wave suddenly spread out from him. "All Sect members in the field, return immediately! Stop gathering resources."

Qin Tianlin secretly shook his head. ’The vast majority of Netherworld Creatures act on instinct. The intelligent ones would be even less likely to approach this area right now.’

However, before the thought had even fully formed, he saw a figure with a terrified expression running out of the distant fog.

’Lan Hao?’ Qin Tianlin’s eyes narrowed. Steward Feng was even faster, instantly flashing forward to support the gasping Lan Hao.